Such an airbag is inflated rapidly in a crash situation, by means of a pyrotechnic gas generator or inflator, from a stowed condition in which the folded bag is contained in a compartment behind a displaceable interior panel of the vehicle, to a fully inflated condition in front of the vehicle occupant for which it is intended. The present invention relates particularly to a dashboard—mounted airbag for a front seat passenger of a motor vehicle. Such a passenger airbag normally must be significantly larger than a corresponding airbag for a driver of the vehicle, because a driver airbag is normally mounted in the hub of the steering wheel and thus much closer to the individual for which it is intended than the passenger airbag mounted in the dashboard. Such large airbags for front seat passengers of motor vehicles must accordingly have a volume significantly larger than that for driver airbags and require significantly more fabric and larger inflators which are relatively expensive and heavy.